Manacle



Aug.21, 1945. f w, M, WELL 1 2,383,071

MANACLE Filed Deo. 6, 1941 L ATToRNEYa,

hand of the user, and the same degree of rotation is well within the safe limits of torsion spring operation in the space 31.

In operation, my manacle is subject to the following cycle of relative movements:

`Assuming the manacle is in closed position in the hand of a user, as indicated in Fig. 3, thle spring 36 has pressed the hub 30 ,toward the frame I and the ratchet teeth 34-35 in engagement yto hold the arms I4-l5 inthe closed position indicated in that gure. The ngers of the user may be used to pull the hub 30 toward the handle 2D to disengage the ratchet teeth as the spring 36 is compressed. As soon as the ratchet teeth are disengaged, the torsion spring 38 causes the frame I0 to spin about the shaft I8 thus causing interaction of the threads 22 upon the thread of the working-end I9 of the shaft, and the jaws or arms I4-I5 will move to open position. The manacle having engaged the wrist of the person to be manacled, the arms I4+I5 will beheld againstrotation, and the frame I6 will `be likewise held against rotation so that the operator may rotate the handle 20 of the shaft I8 to accomplish a jaw closing operation.

The natural position of the hand of the user in a manacle closing operation will naturally be a strong-grasp` of the handle 20 with the4 locking hub 30 free to reciprocateupon the shaft I8 as the ratchet teeth pass one another freely in the javiT closing direction of rotation. The compression spring 36 will constantly urge the ratchet teeth into engagement so that at any portion of the relative rotation of the parts, the ratchet teeth are in position to resist opening movement of thel arms I4-I5. vAs the jaw or arm closing operation progresses, thetorsion spring 38 is overcome and. is wound upv to increase theV bias toward an opening rotation. Thus, thearms are locked in any nal position to which they are moved in a closing direction, and release of the manacled person is dependent upon withdrawal of the locking hub 30 against compression of the spring 36 vunder control of the operator.

I claim: f

1. In a manacle having a frame and a pair of arms one of which is movable toward the other, a handle having` a shaft extending axially revolubly through the frame and provided with connections to the movable arm for the operation thereof in therelative rotation of the handle shaft with respectto said arm, and a. resilient torsion member connected to said handle and its connections and biased to cause relative movement between the handleand frame whereby t0 cause the arm to move to open position.

2. In a manacle having a frame and a manacle arm pivotally mounted with respect to said frame,

a handle and operating shaft therefor extendingl through the frame and mounted for revolubility about its own longitudinal axis, said shaft being connected to said arm for operation thereof during rotation of the handle, an interiorly chambered ratchet collar mounted for floating reciprocation on the shaft and provided with ratchet teeth, ratchet teeth on the frame to -be engaged by the ratchet teeth of the collar in one extreme of lmovement of the collar and to be disengaged `by movement of the collar to the other extreme of its movement, and a resilient torsion member housed in the chamber and secured respectively to the frame and to the shaft, said torsion member being biased to cause relative rotation of the shaft and frame whereby to open the manacle arm.

3. In a manacle, a frame channelled for the reception of the ends of manacle arms positioned with their ends opposed to one another in spaced relation, pivot pins extending through the frame and through said manacle arms adjacent their ends, a grooved operating shaft extending through the frame into said channel between the ends of the manacle arms for contact therewith and provided with threads for interengagement, a pin extending through the frame and disposed in the groove in said shaft to key the shaft to the frame and resist reciprocal thrusts, an interior-1y chambered collar on the operating shaft and keyed thereto to prevent rotation thereof with respect to the shaft but constructed for limited reciprocation on the key and shaft, a resilient torsion member connected to the frame and shaft and disposed in the chamber within the collar, means4 for ratchet interconnection of the frame and collar in one reciprocal position of the collar, a handle having a chambered hub and connected to the operating shaft and a resilient compression member between the handle hub and the collar to urge the collar reciprocally for engagement of the ratchet means, the ratchet teeth being disposed in a direction such that upon release of the ratchet means the torsion member will spin the frame and manacle arms for an automatic manacle opening operation.

WILLIAM M. POWELL. 

